It is the responsibility of all our Member Clubs to ensure that athletes under 26 years of age, parents of athletes under 18, Coaches, Team Trainers and Team Officials confirm, through Confirmation Receipt, every year that they have reviewed Ontario’s Concussion Awareness Resources. 

Ontario is a national leader in concussion management and prevention. Rowan’s Law (Concussion Safety), 2018 makes it mandatory for sports organizations to:

1. Effective July 1, 2019, ensure that athletes under 26 years of age, parents of athletes under 18, Coaches, Team Trainers and Team Officials confirm every year that they have reviewed Ontario’s Concussion Awareness Resources. The Concussion Awareness Resources can be accessed free of charge at the following web location. A Confirmation Receipt for review of Concussion Awareness Resources must be completed by each registered participant and managed by the community sport organization for athletes under 26 years of age, parents of athletes under 18, Coaches, Team Trainers and Team Officials before participating in their sport. The Confirmation Receipt Form can be found here.
2. Effective July 1, 2019, establish a Concussion Code of Conduct that sets out rules of behaviour to support concussion prevention. Each year, Athletes, Coaches and Team Trainers must review and sign off on their applicable Codes of Conduct. Included with this Bulletin you will find Code of Conduct Templates that can be used or adopted within existing community sport organization codes of conduct.
3. Effective July 1, 2020, establish a Removal-from-Sport and Return-to-Sport protocol.  Further information and sample templates will be made available online here when finalized by the Province of Ontario.

The purpose of Rowan’s Law legislation is to promote culture change and make participation in amateur competitive sport safer. There are no enforcement or monitoring provisions in Rowan’s Law.

It is up to entities and individuals to ensure that they comply with the laws of Ontario.

If an organization does not comply with the laws of Ontario, then the organization assumes any liability risk associated with non-compliance.

For a full review of the Rowan’s Law provincial legislation, please click here.

NOTE TO PROVINCIAL, TERRITORIAL AND LOCAL SOCCER ORGANIZATIONS

As part of a pre-season concussion education strategy, we recommended:

1. Our players and parents/guardians should review as a minimum, the Summary section of this document, OR both the Respond and Recognize sections of this document (recommended) as part of their soccer registration process.
2. All participants in our sport should be encouraged to familiarize themselves with the entirety of our Concussion Guidelines.

Baseline (pre-season) testing of youth (<18 years)><18 years) and adult recreational athletes using any tool or combination of tools is not required for post-injury care of those who sustain a suspected or diagnosed concussion and is not recommended.

For the communication between physicians and soccer coaches, team officials and clubs we recommend using: Canada Soccer’s Concussion Assessment Report, available @ canadasoccer.com.

Generic concussion reporting letters are also available through Parachute Canada:

Generic concussion reporting Letter

SUMMARY

A concussion is a brain injury.

All concussions should be regarded as potentially serious.

Most concussions recover completely with correct management.

Incorrect management of a concussion can lead to further injury.

Concussions should be managed according to current guidelines.

Anyone with suspected concussion following an injury must be immediately removed from playing or training and receive a prompt assessment by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner. Concussions are managed by licensed health care professionals working within their scope of practice and expertise.

Concussions are managed by a limited period of rest followed by avoiding physical and brain activities that make concussive symptoms worse, and once concussion related symptoms have resolved, a step-wise return to school, work and sports-related activities.

Return to education or work must take priority over return to playing soccer.

Concussion symptoms must have completely resolved and documented medical clearance completed by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner must be received before resuming full contact practice or game play.

The recurrence of concussion symptoms subsequent to the return to full contact practice or game play requires removal from training or playing and reassessment.

FURTHER RESOURCES

WEBSITES

Concussion Awareness Training Tool: www.cattonline.com

Parachute: www.parachutecanada.org/concussion

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/HEADSUP/

Ontario Ministry of Health Concussion Resources for Youth: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-government-concussion-awareness-resource-e-booklet-ages-10-and-under

VIDEOS

What happens when you have a concussion? - Clifford Robbins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvjK-4NXRsM